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Jean Mangaluz - Philstar.com
February 12, 2026 | 5:53pm
A photo uploaded on Feb. 10, 2026, on Facebook shows Risa Hontiveros delivering a speech at the Senate session hall.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros via Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — A Pasay court has issued an arrest warrant against Michael Maurillo, the former member of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) who recanted his statements against the church and accused Sen. Risa Hontiveros of bribing him.
Maurillo had been one of the key witnesses during a Senate inquiry into the KOJC, which has been accused of sexual abuse and human trafficking. However, in a video statement that has since been deleted, he claimed he was coerced into testifying against KOJC founder and alleged sex trafficker Apollo Quiboloy.
Hontiveros vehemently denied Maurillo’s accusations, showing screenshots of him attempting to solicit money from her office, as well as claims that he was being kidnapped.
Her team filed a cyber libel complaint against Maurillo, and a court has issued an arrest warrant against Maurillo.
Hontiveros called this a welcome development, saying that she hoped it would allow Maurillo to lead authorities to the bigger fish.
“Actually, this might be a chance. If Michael is listening, to reach out to him to see if there is a chance that he would finally cooperate with authorities again and to point to the bigger fish like what he started in the Senate before,” Hontiveros said in Filipino.
The issuance of an arrest warrant meant that the Department of Justice believed that there was enough evidence to pursue a case against Maurillo.
